Sunflower

Chapter 17

Chris

I've been sitting in on this virtual meeting for the past seven and a half minutes, but I don't think I've heard a single thing that's been said so far. I should be paying attention. This is important. This directly affects my internship.

Yet all I can do is think about Lucy, and how she hasn't called or texted me in four days.

I thought telling her I was planning to leave would be enough to change her mind. Why I ever thought that, I don't know. The whole reason she broke up with me is because of this internship. Because she wants me to do it. Because she doesn't want me to stay here, with her.

Because she doesn't want me anymore.

"Is that okay with you, Chris?"

"I'm sorry?" I ask, snapping out of my thoughts.

Mr. Dugan, the VP of the company I'll be interning for, smiles at me, his dull blonde hair a distracting swoop akin to a whipped cream topping. Does he even know he's too old for that hairstyle?

"Sorry, mate. I forget there's a bit of a lag in the connection sometimes. I said I'll be sending Jenny, my assistant, to New York to start briefing you before Friday. She'll fly with you, get you checked in and show you around beautiful Australia. Jenny, did you finally get connected?"

"Sorry, Mr. Dugan," a soft voice says, appearing on the screen and replacing the once black block that was there. "I'm here now."

I'm stunned by her beauty right away. She's the natural kind of gorgeous, the kind that doesn't need the help of make up or a nice hairstyle.

"Jenny, I'd like you to meet our newest intern, Chris Myers," Mr. Dugan says.

"Hi Chris, it's a pleasure to meet you," Jenny says in the most adorable Australian accent.

"H-hi, Jenny," I reply, clearing my throat. "Nice to meet you as well."

We go on talking about what I can expect in the coming days and weeks and I get a feel for what I'll be doing once I arrive in Australia. The call lasts about an hour, but I enjoy myself so much, it practically flies by.

And when it's over, I can't stop smiling. For the first time, I'm actually letting myself get excited about Australia. I can leave everything here behind and start over. And after all that's happened, I know I have to do this. If I'm ever getting over Lucy, I have to let her go.

And the only way I trust myself to do that is to move to the other side of the planet for two years.

Wanting to keep up this new found positive energy, I decide to go for a jog. It's been a while since I've gotten any exercise, so it doesn't take me long to get winded. I take it down a few notches to a slow pace. Wow. I've lost a lot of stamina that I used to have. The past two weeks have been brutal to me, so not surprising. Starting today though, I'm getting my life back together. I can't change Lucy's mind about us and I won't continue to try. Deep down, I know I've been fighting a losing battle for the past year. I knew it was only a matter of time before Lucy called it quits.

She'll miss me someday. She'll miss what we had. And she'll be sorry she ever let me go.

Lucy

Today has been one of the longest days I've ever experienced since starting my job at Quincy Elementary School back in August. It was the kind of day where absolutely nothing went right. I'm falling behind in my lesson plans, the kids were out of sorts, I've cleaned up more messes than the past two years combined and none of them were pleasant; poop, pee, boogers, the whole nine yards.